This invention relates to a combination of sports equipment storage rack and ball retriever. The growing interest in participant sports has resulted in the availability of various types of sports equipment for a particular sport. For example, a tennis player would generally have at least one tennis racket, numerous cans of balls and various other sundry equipment such as wrist bands, head bands, sun visors, gloves and caps. Various devices exist for storing such equipment. In general these devices comprise a storage rack which is mounted in a fixed position.
Apart from storage racks for sports equipment, another known item used by sports enthusiasts, particularly tennis players, is a ball retriever which is used for picking up balls particularly during or after practice sessions. At such times, a player who, for example, is practicing his serve might have a dozen or more balls scattered about the court. The general structure of a ball retriever is a wire basket having an elongated handle with the rod members on the bottom wall of the basket spaced apart a distance slightly less than the diameter of the tennis balls. In use the player would hold the handle and position the basket above a ball and then press downwardly. As a result, the springy rod members would spread sufficiently to permit the ball to pass into the basket and be held therein by the rod members returning to their original position. Such ball retrievers are convenient because they permit the player to gather the balls without any bending or stooping action.